Tim Skubick: The Bernstein name may be a plus in U-M Board of Regents race

Mr. Bernstein could benefit from those other commercials for the law firm that are everywhere. Suffice it to say he is likely a household name by now.

Mark BernsteinThe Grand Rapids Press

What the heck is this? A feel-good positive political campaign commercial?

No way.

But there it is compliments of Mark Bernstein. You probably recognize the name unless you don’t have a TV in your house.

Mr. Bernstein is often seen along side his daddy hawking their “Call Sam” mantra for legal assistance. But now comes the son hawking for your vote.

He is one of the Democrats running for the U-M Board of Regents and recently he purchased a school bus for $2,000. He dressed it up in maize and blue paint and produced the following commercial.

He’s sitting in the driver’s seat and a bunch of school kids are asking him about higher education stuff and he invites all the kids to “Get on the bus.”

Then the U of M grad confronts a guy wearing a green and white sweatshirt asking, “I’m a Spartan. Can I get on the bus?”

“Of course you can Dad,” as the son invites his MSU daddy to get on the bus, too. After all Spartans can vote for U of M board members, too.

It’s a wonderfully crafted commercial that will get a lot of attention and make you laugh, but will it produce votes?

Traditionally the winners of the university board races at MSU, WSU and U of M are not determined by the worthiness of the candidates but rather, what happens at the top of the ticket. A landslide win for Barack Obama in Michigan, for example, would likely drag Mr. B. into office, the cute bus ad nothwithstanding.

However, Mr. Bernstein could well benefit from those other commercials for the law firm that are everywhere. Suffice it to say he is likely a household name by now, which gives him a leg up over all the other contenders.

Will that help? he was asked the other day.

“I think so,” he smiled.

As an aside the TV reporter doing the interview observes, “You know you are on TV more than I am.”

“Yeah,” he quickly retorted in his best trial lawyer delivery, “but I had to pay for it.”